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Bereaved parents remember children
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
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Lighting of a candle in honor of military personnel during a candle light vigil organized by the Bereaved Parents of the USA's Mahoning County Youngstown Chapter at the First Presbyterian Church Tuesday evening.
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Buffy Gasior remem-bers her son, Seth, for his singing and cooking talents, but mainly for the close relationship they shared.
It was a relationship cut short in March 2008, when Seth suddenly died of a pulmonary embolism at age 25.
“Seth will always be with me in spirit; he’s part of me,” the Youngstown mother said after Tuesday’s annual candlelight memorial service at First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, 201 Wick Ave., on the city’s North Side.
About 20 people attended the somber gathering, hosted by the Mahoning County-Youngstown Chapter of Bereaved Parents of the USA, to remember and honor children, grandchildren and siblings who died.
Bereaved Parents is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping parents and families cope with grief after the loss of a child.
Chapter meetings allow participants to share with other attendees their struggles in a nonjudgmental environment and draw support from one another.
Gasior showed a Dec. 24, 2004, video of Seth’s singing “O Holy Night” to family members. He also was a disc jockey who loved to sing for residents in nursing homes and those with special needs, she recalled.
In addition, he was a chef whose favorite dishes included Italian bruschetta and bananas Foster, a flaming dessert, Gasior continued.
“He was so funny. He could make you laugh in nothing flat,” said Gasior, fighting back tears.
Also in attendance were her husband, Joe, and 10-year-old granddaughter, Taylor Eberhart.
The speaker was the Rev. Robinette Clark, a minister at Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church in Youngstown.
The Rev. Mrs. Clark, whose 29-year-old son, Keane D. Gregory, was killed April 9, 2007, in a car accident, recalled that he had dedicated his life to God, which, she said, helps her cope with the loss.
He also was kind and willing to help those who sought him out, she explained.
“He didn’t meet any strangers. He loved people and we had that close bond,” Mrs. Clark said.
It’s vital for those suffering such a loss to encourage others in the same situation, surround themselves with loving and supportive people, realize that anger and sadness are normal and focus on the enjoyable times with the children they lost, Mrs. Clark advised.
“I don’t mourn [Keane’s] life anymore; I celebrate his life,” she said.
Afterward, candles were lighted as lost loved ones’ names and dates of birth and death were read.
Lighting candles to honor fallen military personnel was Sgt. Dale Nitzsky of Boardman, a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, whose brother, David Jones, was killed in April in a motorcycle accident.
Jones said he finds it difficult to talk about the loss of his brother, but described him as “fun-loving.“ Two of Nitzsky’s family members are part of the local support group, he said.
The Bereaved Parents chapter meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Park Vista Retirement Center, 1216 Fifth Ave., on the North Side. For more information, go to www.ytownbpusa.org.